


You’re early

by RedWidow



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Acid, Angst, Everyone is Dead, Fire, Fluff, I dont know how to tag, Idol Mark Lee, Mentions of Death, Mentions of Suicide, Murder, No Beta, Taeyong is Death, Torture Mentioned, We love our boys, description of corpses, for like a minute maybe, for my bestie, i guess?, im sorry, mark lee centric, mentions of lucifer, merry christmas?, or they die during the story, stan nct fools
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-27
Updated: 2019-12-27
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:07:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21987880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedWidow/pseuds/RedWidow
Summary: Mark is early. For what, exactly?He doesn’t know.And why is there an anime dude staring at him?AkaMark is dead, Doyoung is dead, everyone is dead eventually, and Taeyong is death himself.
Relationships: Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Suh Youngho | Johnny
Comments: 4
Kudos: 30





	You’re early

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Levy_Phantom](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Levy_Phantom/gifts).



> The tags make it sound rlly graphic but it’s not that bad. Enjoy!

“... shit......... -onny........ call..... qui-.. -y.....”

Pain.....

“....-lea.... Lee...... stabbed..... much blo-...”

...... sirens..... beep.... beep....

“.... -lood type?....... -rans... -sion..... immediat-........”

..... someone crying?......

“..... -eart failure..... -fibulator..... agai-.....”

Silence. Darkness.

“Mr. Seo? I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this....”

Gone.

~

When Mark opened his eyes, he saw nothing. He couldn’t move any other muscles, he couldn’t see, and he was terrified.

Slowly, light returned to his eyes, his vision gradually becoming clearer. His body began to lose its tension, and he rolled his neck, wincing at the sound of his bones cracking. 

‘Thank fuck,’ he thought, ‘but what the fuck just happened?’

It was then that he realized that his chest was still, that he was not breathing, that he could no feel a pulse.

“Wha- dude, what the fuck?” He whispered.

A glass smashed. Mark jumped, and spun around. Standing, like a dear caught in headlights, was possibly the hottest man Mark had ever seen. “Who the fuck are you? Am I dreaming, I think I’m dreaming, you look like an anime character- wait, are you an anime character? Are you here to murder me?!”

Mark stares at the man, and the man stares at Mark.

“You’re early,” the man finally says, breaking the silence that had settled awkwardly between them.

Mark gaped at the man. “Early? Early for what? Who are you? Where am I? Why the fuck am I not breathing? Where are my hyungs-“

“Kid, shut up. Please,” the man snaps. “You’re early, and I’m not prepared, and I need to focus to make sure your entire soul is here, so please, give me one minute of peace before I explain to you where you are.”

Mark, intimidated by the mans complete flip of character, falls silent. He fidgets with the sleeves of his black hoody and takes in his surroundings. It looks like he’s in a waiting room, one eerily similar to the one outside SM’s main offices where he’d often wait with Jonny after submitting a new song or album. What the fuck is going on?

“Okay, kid,” the man suddenly says, making mark jump in fright again. “Most people call me some bullshit title like Death, or the Grim Reaper, or something along those lines, but my name is Taeyong, and you, Mark Lee, are dead.”

Mark stares at the man, Taeyong, thoughts rushing through his head. “I’m..... I’m dead? What do you mean?”

Taeyong sighs. “Yeah, dead, kid. You don’t breathe, your soul is not on earth anymore, you heart doesn’t beat anymore. You weren’t supposed to be here for another 60 years, but Satan must have been in a playful mood again or something, I don’t know, that’s above my pay grade. Any question?”

“Um, dude, yeah, what the fuck?!”

Taeyong glared. “I don’t appreciate that language, Lee. Come on, I’m drinking you to Doyoung, seeing as he’s the only person you’d know here.

~

“Doyoung-hyung?”

Kim Doyoung spins around, dropping the book he was reading from. 

‘That voice- it’s so familiar.... where do I remember it from?’ He thinks.

He stops dead (no pun intended) when he sees Mark Lee in front of him, and Taeyong hovering apologetically behind him. His best friend, his neighbour- at least from before he died.

“Oh, Mark, not you already....” he murmured.

Taeyong coughed into his elbow, catching the attention of Doyoung. “He’s early, Doyoung-ah. Take care of him.”

Doyoung nodded, and Taeyong left them alone.

Mark frowned. His Hyung has changed since they last spoke, before the fire that took Doyoung’s life all those years ago.

Doyoung and Mark were neighbors during collage. They became close friends, studying together, eating together, they did almost everything together. About three weeks into the second term of their third year, their apartment complex we t up in flames. Almost everyone in the building died, Doyoung included, and those who were lucky enough to survive were left with horrific burn. Mark was lucky, he had been pulling an all nighter at SM composing when the blaze broke out, so he was perfectly safe. The following months were hard- he had to replace everything he lost, but nothing would ever replace Doyoung and full in the gaping hole in his heart. His hyungs, Jonny, Jaehyun and Taeil were extremely helpful during those months, getting him out of the house, making him eat, helping him get back on his feet.

Mark flew forward, latching onto Doyoung and squeezing him tightly. “I missed you so much, hyung.”

Usually, Doyoung would flinch if someone touched him. Ever since he died, he’s been left covered in scar tissue, as you kept your physical appearance when you died and came Here. The blaze destroyed his skin completely. Not an inch was free from a scar, and he hated how it felt. Mark hugging him had been a shock, of course, but he missed his friend immensely, and so he found himself not minding how he looked for the first time since he died.

“I missed you too, Mark-ah... how... how was the rest of your life without me? Do you remember how you died?”

Mark shrugged. “It’s kind of hazy.... I think I bled out or something? I remember different sounds, and a pain in my abdomen, but that’s all really.”

Doyoung gasped quietly. He opened his mouth, but hesitated before closing it again.

“What is it, dude?”

“Can I see the scar?” Doyoung asked.

Mark stares open mouthed. “I have a scar?”

The elder laughed lightly and nodded his head, motioning for the younger to raise his shirt. Mark did so, muttering a small “Oh my God,” when he saw what must be a six inch scar across his abs.

“Yo, dude, that look sick!”

~

Mark didn’t notice the time passing. He spends it with Doyoung and Taeyong, playing games, singing, watching souls pass through. He missed left sometimes. He missed Jonny and Jaehyun, and Taeil, his fans. His family. But life Here was much easier, wherever Here was. He was never alone, and it was always peaceful.

At least, until Taeil arrived.

When Taeyong walked in with Taeil, Mark was writing lyrics. He had built up quite a fan base Here, after being recognized by a fan who died from cancer the year after his debut. She persuaded him to keep going, to provide entertainment for the souls who enjoyed music, and as more of his fans from life found themselves dead, they sought comfort in hearing the idol they missed so much. He enjoyed it, helping people transition from life to death.

“Mark?”

Mark whipped around when he heard his hyung whisper his name. “Taeil hyung?”

When Taeil nodded his head, Mark looked at Taeyong with a questioning gaze. “Hyung, I thought you said that my friends wouldn’t be Here for ages...”

Taeyong grimaced, glancing at Taeil before beckoning Mark forward. “It seems that Lucifer is going on a spree again. It’s the same as what happened to you, Mark-ah. Take care of him, I have to get back to the gate, there’s a group arriving in ten minutes.”

Mark took hold of Taeil’s hand, pulling him over to one of the large recliners against the wall. “How are you, hyung?”

Taeil laughed humorlessly. “At this point, glad to be dead.”

Mark stares at the older man, noticing the way parts of his skin looked almost melted, and the scars all over his face. “Hyungie, what happened? Do you remember? I didn’t at first until I saw my scar, Doyoung-hyung took care of me until I adjusted, He’s here somewhere I think, maybe gone to see his mom-“

“Mark, you’re rambling,” Taeil laughs, effectively cutting the younger off. “I remember everything, it’d be a bit too hard to forget. We both suffered greatly, didn’t we? You being stabbed, me being tortured...”

“You were tortured?! Dude, what the fuck?!”

Taeil smiles, he missed the enthusiasm of the younger. “Yeah, I think I was kidnapped? I remember parts of the torture, but I died after the dick put half of my body in acid, I think everything probably got too much.... anyways, how are you? It’s been so long since I’ve seen you, the last time was your funeral, obviously..”

Mark, knowing that his hyung was deflecting what happened to him, decided to go along with him, knowing that it would take a while for the fact that he was dead to sink in. He could always ask Taeyong, the man having a huge soft spot for him and all.

“I’m good, hyung! I miss some things from life, but being Here isn’t too bad either. I’ve had Taeyong-hyung and Doyoung-hyung, and my fans too. I’m still making music! Do you want to hear it?”

~ 

Taeil soon settled into life after death, finding comfort in Mark and the younger’s friend’s. He remembered how Mark was when Doyoung died, so it was refreshing to see him so happy. It took Taeil a lot longer to adjust than Mark, but the man had a longer life, so it was to be expected.

The group weren’t expecting Jonny and Jaehyun to turn up for a long time, especially since Taeil told them that they had gotten engaged. He was worried, they had taken Marks death badly, both ended up getting therapy, and now that Taeil was dead, he feared they would fall into bad habits again.

When he thinks about it, Taeil knows he shouldn’t be so surprised when Taeyong walks in with the two men, but he is. 

No one is more surprised than Mark, however. The youngest of the group always expected his hyungs to live a long time, and to make a family. He wanted it for them, they dealt with so much shit during collage, lost friends, lost huge job opportunities because of their mental health. Mark only wanted the best for his friends, and while some might say that death is the answer to that, Mark didn’t agree.

“Hyungs?” Marks quiet voice rang across the room.

Jonny and Jaehyun looked up from the conversation they were having. They weren’t expecting to see their old friend for a while, and stoped short at the sight of him in from of them.

“Taeyong-hyung, why are they here? I thought you said....” he trailed off.

Taeil could see the boy crumbling. He knew that he was hopeful for the others to live a long life, and that it was crushing him to see them so soon. He stood and walked over to the younger, pulling him in close to his side, hoping to keep him calm.

Taeyong smiles lightly at Taeil. He hated being the one to deliver people sometimes, especially early ones. It’s why he had such a soft spot for Mark. He was early, but he took it so well, and he was so hopeful for his hyungs that were still alive.

“Mark-ah, you know what Lucifer has been like the past while. He sent many people Here early this time. I’m sure he chose at random, it just happened that your hyungs were chosen. Do you want me to stay for a while? Maybe we can make something to eat?”

Mark looked up at his hyung, who had made his way across the room to him to hug him lightly. “Can we? But..... what about the gate?”

“It’s alright,” Taeyong reassures the younger. “I’ve got a sit in for the next while so that I can take a break anyways.”

Mark relaxed into Taeil’s side, and looked at Jonny and Jaehyun. They looked older, but he didn’t mind. “Where’s my hug, dude?”

Jonny and Jaehyun glanced at each other, shrugging before making their way over to the younger and hugging him tightly.

“How are you, Mark-ah? Taeil? Oh my god, is that Doyoung?” Jonny asked.

Mark whipped his head around, seeing Doyoung in the doorway observing the reunion with a smile. “Hyung! You’re back! How’s your mom?”

“She’s fine, Mark-ah. Jonny, Jaehyun, you’re early. Nice to see you again,” Doyoung said.

“You too, Doyoung-ah... it’s been a while, hasn’t it?” Jaehyun answered.

“Mmhmm... how’d you guys die, then?” 

Jonny and Jaehyun looked at each other, a silent conversation taking place between, before Jonny nodded and they turned back to the others.

“We may have jumped off of a cliff together?”

Fin.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you liked this one. Kudos and comments really appreciated!!


End file.
